Follow along for live coverage of the October 22, 2020 presidential debate between Former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump. The debate is being held at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Pandemic:
When asked how he will lead the country during a pandemic, President Trump responded “2.2 million people were expected to die. We closed the greatest economy in the world to fight this virus that came from China. “If you noticed the mortality rate is down 85%..” “We’re fighting and fighting it hard. We have a vaccine that’s coming. It’s ready. It will be announced in weeks. The military is going to distribute.”
Biden responds to the question with: “Giving confidence in vaccine: make sure it is totally transparent. By the way, this is the same fellow who told you it would end by Easter last time. We are about to go into a dark winter, he has no clear plan.” “If we just wore this mask, we could save 100,000 lives. Wear a mask all the time.”
When discussing the aspects of Coronavirus and the economic impact:
Trump said: “I caught it. I learned a lot…. Great doctors great hospitals…. 99% of people recover. We can’t close up our nation or we aren’t going to have a nation”
Biden responds with “When it hit, what did the President say? He said don’t worry it will be gone by Easter. He said to inject bleach but people thought it was serious. He thinks people are in control. People are learning to die with it. That man or wife trying to touch where their husband or wife was. When’s the last time… is it really dangerous still? What should they do about the danger? He says I take no responsibility.”
Referring to the country opening back up and effect of shutdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic
Tump said, “New York, it’s a ghost town. You talk about plexi glass…. these business are dying… it’s dying.. People are leaving New York”. “New York has lost 40,000 people” .
Biden said, “I’m gonna shut down the viruses not the country…He should’ve been discussing with Nancy Pelosi and the rest of democrats and republicans to ask about the acts that they are passing for billions of dollars that had the capacity for..”
National Security:
What would you do in your next term to combat national security? President Trump responds, “There has been nobody tougher than me on Russia.. Between the sanctions and the NATO” he also said, “Joe got 3.5 millions dollars from Russia. It came through Putin… your family got 3 and a half million dollars… I never got money from Russia”
Biden Responds with, “I have not taken a penny from any foreign source in my life… I have not taken a single penny from any country whatsoever” He also stated, “I released my 22 year tax return when you have not released your tax return. The foreign countries are paying you a lot.”
When asked about the allegations of his son making money from China, Joe Biden responds “My son has not made money… no body else has made money from china but this guy” (referring to Trump)
Trump respondes,“His son didn’t have a job for a long time, he very sadly was no longer in the military but we won’t get into that, as soon as he became VP .. I hear they paid 183,000 … and gave him 3 millions up front”
When asked on the topic “China”, the candidates responded
President Trump – “I just gave 28 million dollars to farmers” “China paid 28 million dollars” also, “I charged them 25%.. Because they were killing our steel industry”
Former Vice President Joe Biden – “Play by the international rules, not like he has done. He has caused the deficit to change. We are in a situation where China would have to play by the international rules too. We make up only 25% of the world’s economy. We need to be having the rest of our friends to play by the rules economically. That is the way I will run it.”
American Families:
The candidates are asked, what would you do if the affordable care act is turned over and families are left with no healthcare?
Trump: “first of all we’ve already done something that people thought was impossible”.“Premiums are down, everything is down but no matter how you run it, it’s no good”. He also said, “They have 180 million people, families under what he wants to do which will basically be socialized medicine.. He wants to terminate 180 million plans”
Biden said, “Become Bidencare… we’re gonna make sure we reduce the premiums and drug prices by eliminating the competition” and also “I support private insurance.” “We’re gonna make sure we are in a situation where we can protect preexisting conditions … he has no plan”
Trump ended with, “Go back and look at the records he tried to hurt social security years ago.” “If he’s elected, the stock market will crash”
Biden also said “Social security will be bankrupt by 2023.”
When the candidates were if they felt this is the time to raise minimum wage they respond with:
Trump – “Raising the minimum wage is not helping… we have to help our small businesses. How are we helping our small businesses when you’re raising minimum wage… it should be a state option”
Biden – “These first responders that we all clap for … they deserve 15 dollars … there is no evidence that raising the minimum wage hurts small businesses”
Immigration:
When asked about over 500 kids separated from their parents when crossing the border.
president Trump said, “The children are brought here by coyotes… they use them to get in.” He also said, “they come over through cartels and through coyotes and through gangs.”
Biden responded with “These children came with their parents … it makes us a laughing stock and violates the notion of who we are.” Biden also said, “You have 525 kids who don’t know where they’re gonna be”
Race:
The candidates are asked to address families who ultimately have to have the talk with their children about racism in America.
Biden said, “There is institutional racism in America. All men and women are created equal but we never lived up to it. We have to provide better access to opportunity. “
Trump’s address said “ Nobody has done more for the balck community of donald trump. With the exception of Abraham Lincoln, nobody has done what I’ve done. Criminal justice reform, Obama and Joe didn’t do it.”
Biden responded with “In 2000 after the Crime bill was in law, the problem is that there are not enough people in jail. He talked about marauding and gangs. He continued to push for death penalty on people who were not guilty.”
Trump then said, “You know Joe, I ran because of you. I ran because of Barack Obama because you did a poor job.”
When asked about their support of the Black Lives Matter movement the candidates responded:
Trump – “The first time you’ve ever heard of black lives matter they were chatting pigs in a blankets.. Fry em’.. They were talking about the police” he also said “I think I have great relationships with all people.. I am the least racist person in this room”
Biden – “Abraham Lincoln (referring to President Trump) is the most racist president in modern history.”
Climate Changes
The candidates are asked about their different visions on Climate Change.
President Trump said, “So we have the trillion trees program, I do love the environment… we have the lowest number of carbon emissions… we have the best carbon emission numbers we’ve had in 35 years.. Look at china, how filthy it is.. The air is filthy.. The Paris accord, I took us out because we were gonna spend millions of dollars”
Former Vice President Biden responds, “we have a moral obligation to deal with it… We are going to pass the point of no return in the next 8 years.” He also states, “It’s going to create millions of jobs and clean our environment.”
“We are energy independent for the first time. We don’t need all of the countries.. I know more about wind than you do.. It kills all the birds,” said Trump.
Biden responded with “I have never said I never oppose fracking. I do rule out banning fracking.”
The candidates are asked to imagine their inauguration day. What will you say in your inauguration address to Americans who did not vote for you?
President Trump responded “We have to make a country totally successful before the plague. Now we are rebuilding it. 11 million jobs etc. Just before, I was getting calls from people who were not normally people who called me. We had the best Black employment. Success is going to bring us together. We are on the road to success. I am cutting taxes and he is wanting to raise. We will have a depression.”
Former Vice President Joe Biden said, “ I represent for or against me. We are giving you hope. We chose hope over fear. Science over fiction. Enormous opportunities. Systemic racism, make sure the economy is being moved by clean energy and creating millions of new jobs. What is on the ballot here is the character of this country. Decency, honesty, respect. Everyone has an even chance. You haven’t been getting it the last 4 years.”
